Alas, although I have label shots, I have yet to hear either side of the disc. But at least I have some info, courtesy of the excellent and informative sleeve notes on the Bear Family Nashville Hillbilly Box Set. Clauser was first heard of playing with bands in Preoria, IL in the mid twenties and first recorded for ARC Records. He was based most of the time (at this point) around Cincinnati, OH and played on WCKY before relocating to Tulsa, OK, with a stint in Fort Worth, TX. After recording for Bullet Records, he also had releases on Arrow and Skyline from Tulsa. (Anybody got any details on these?). He also launched the recording career of Patti Page.

Backed by his Oklahoma Outlaws, he self released this fine Western Swing / Hillbilly disc on his own H&C label for local promotional purposes. What happened to him after this disc is a mystery to me.

STARDAY RECORDS 577LUKE GORDON (July 1956)

Washington DC Area

HD-577-A – Is It Wrong

(Unknown Credits) (Starrite BMI)

HD-577-B – What Can You Do?

(Unknown Credits) (Starrite BMI)

Not seen or heard this disc as yet.

Dave Sax said…

This is his rarest in the series and, as the others, is superb if you love Gordon’s music. In some ways it’s the best with the walking bass played softly with the amp turned high. Shimmering fiddle and closer to the Sun sound than the others. Super songs from a top artist.

STARDAY RECORDS 578 « COUSIN ARNOLD » and his Country Cousins

(July 1956)

45-578-A – Heart Of A Fantasy

(B McCraven / A E Baynard) (Starrite BMI)

45-578-B – Sweet Talking Daddy

(A E Baynard) (Starrite BMI)

Second (and at this point in time) final offering from Cousin Arnold. A side is a pleasant enough hillbilly disc, whilst the flip is again bordering on Rock-A-Billy, although this was possibly unintentional. With « Cat Music » hogging more and more of the radio airwaves, these country artists were forced to at least try to be sounding like they were keeping up with the times.

SPACE RECORDS 579DON COLLINS (August 1956)

Lafayette, IN

45-579-A – Why Am I Lonely

(Collins) (Starrite BMI)

45-579-B – Too Late To Be Sorry

(Fred Crawford) (Starrite BMI)

Untraced but the label shots.

FAME RECORDS 580MACK BANKS and his Drifting Troubadors

Box 552, Houston, MS (August 1956)

45-580-A – You’re So Dumb

(M Banks – R Forman) (Starrite BMI)

45-580-B – Be-Boppin’ Daddy

(M Banks – H Brown) (Starrite BMI)

I could prattle on about this record, but instead I’ll let Mack tell you himself ….

« I wrote « You’re So Dumb » in 1954 and Houston, MS, USA radio station (WCPC) recorded it with one microphone, Hook Brown (lead guitar), Luther Foreman (standup bass), Charles Rome (fiddle) and me singing and playing rhythm guitar. It was number 1 at WCPC 19 weeks in a row. Dropped to 2 or 3 for a few weeks and back up to number 1 for a total of 26 weeks at number one. It was the number one song of the year in 1956. « Be-Boppin’ Daddy » was 4 to 6 months behind « You’re So Dumb » with Hook Brown (Lead guitar), Luther Foreman (stand up bass), and Tommy Coffee (drums) and me (vocals and rhythm guitar). It was number 1 for 7 weeks. The radio station sent these tapes to Don Pierce at Starday records and released it on Fame Records which I and the radio station owned but never registered the Fame name. My friend Rick Hall of Muscle Shoals, AL picked it up and registered the name about a year later. I have re-released these songs on CD MEB 0019. To my knowledge only 350 of the Fame 580 were pressed. »

Both sides are killer rock-a-billy in the highest degree! In fact, the intro to « You’re So Dumb » is goose-pimple inducing madness! What a darn fine record! Only 350 pressed! Of course Rick Hall wasn’t the only guy to use the FAME Record label – Jimmy Heap‘s Texan label springs to mind off the top of my head. But then again, nothing matters once you slap this disc onto your turntable.

BEVERLY RECORDS 581 THE SOUTHERN SPIRITUALS

Kinston, NC (August 1956)

45-581-A – Since I Laid My Burden Down

(No info) (Golden State BMI)

45-581-B – If I Leave

(No info) (Golden State BMI)

Untraced

STARDAY RECORDS 582 JIMMY AND DOROTHY BLAKLEY

(August 1956)

45-582-A No One But You

(J Blakley) (Starrite BMI)

45-582-B Standing In Line (For Your Love)

(J Blakley) (Starrite BMI)

Dorothy played on quite a few Starday sessions. Some copies have ST-2656 & St-2657 in the dead wax. (These are probably 2nd pressings.) 582-A was also recorded by Neal Merritt on Starday 260.

Starday 583 unknown artist – acetate –

I’ll Fly Away With An Angel (?)

Cherished By A Song (?)

Del-Mar 584DELMAR WILLIAMS SINGERS

Moorhead, KY

I Wanna Walk A Little Closer

The Gates Will Swing

Untraced

DEL-MAR RECORDS 585THE DELMAR WILLIAMS SINGERS

Moorhead, KY (August 1956)

45-585-A – My Journey Home

(D Williams / L Williams) (Starrite BMI)

45-585-B – The Last Love Letter

(G Williams / D Williams) (Starrite BMI)

Judging from the writers credits, I would suggest that the Delmar Williams singers are a family affair. Not heard this disc.

PLOW RECORDS 586TENNESSEE GEORGE and the Pennsylvania Plowboys

Bangor, PA (August 1956)

45-586-A – Cry baby

(No info) (No info)

45-586-B – Butter Ball

(George Dry) (Starrite BMI)

Never heard the disc. 586-A was re-recorded by Dave Dudley on Starday 364.

STARDAY RECORDS 587 ANDY DOLL – 6 Men and 16 Instruments

(Artist based in Oelwein, IA) (August 1956)

45-587-A – Goodbye Mary Ann

(A Doll) (Starrite BMI)

45-587-B – Honey Dew

(A Doll) (Starrite BMI)

Compared to most of the artist featured on Starday Customs, Doll is one of the more prolific artists. He had many discs released on his own AD label from Oelwein, IA, mostly pressed by RCA and by 1962, we find him the proud owner of the « Coliseum Ballroom » until 1973. He also toured extensively and backed up such luminaries as Pee Wee King.

Anyhow, the A side is a nice song, set at what I guess is a waltz tempo, whilst the flip is more uptempo with a western swing flavour. All very pleasant to be sure, but not something that would set my heart racing. His later recordings on AD bordered on Rock-A-Billy in some places, but not on this occasion.

COXX RECORDS 588SLIM COXX and his Cowboy Caravan

So. Coventry, CT (September 1956)

45-588-A Mockingbird Special

(S Coxx / B Dee) (Starrite BMI)

45-588-B Lonely Nights

(S Coxx / J Albert) (Starrite BMI)

Still waiting to hear the B-side. Slim’s real name was Gerard A Miclette. He played with his younger brother, Roland « Rocky » Miclette in various bands. By the time Roland came back from serving in the Navy, he joined Slim (who played fiddle like his father, George) playing bass in Slims’ Kentucky Ramblers. Eventually they came to the attention of the Down Homers, which featured Bill Haley (and Kenny Roberts) and joined them on the tidy sum of $200 a week wages. Once the Down Homers had disbanded, Slim & Rocky were playing at Lake Compounce in Slims new band, The Cowboy Caravan.

Rocky died on the 6th of May 2004 and Slim passed away October 13th 1999.

« Mocking Bird Special » is a pleasant enough fiddle instrumental. This was reissued on Starday EP 295 and Starday LP 114, and subsequently reissued again on Nashville LP 2015 (Album release credited to « Slim Cox. ») Haven’t heard the flip, but the lead vocalist is Jimmy Stephen.

SAN RECORDS 589 JOE BROWN and the Black Mt. Boys with Curley Sanders and the Santones (September 1956)

W.B.R.T, Bardstown, KY

45-589-A Midnight Rhythm

(Sanders / Shirley) (Starrite BMI)

45-589-B Fishin’ Fever

(Joe Brown) (Starrite BMI)

Once again, nothing known about Joe Brown and his band. Curley Sanders will be covered next as he has his own release after this disc. Recorded at WBRT from Bardstown, KY so perhaps Joe was a DJ there.

« Midnight Rhythm » is a nice instrumental with fiddles and a nice guitar picker (Ody Martin?) doing a fine Chet Atkins impression. (Ody was name checked by Curley in a Billboard segment.) « Fishin’ Fever » is the slightly better side with fine vocals and fine support from the Black Mt. Boys and the Santones.

JAMBOREE RECORDS 590CURLEY SANDERS

Buffalo, KY (September 1956)

45-590-A – Why Did You Leave Me

(J R Sprawls / C Sanders) (Starrite BMI)

45-590-B – Brand New Rock And Roll

(C Sanders) (Starrite BMI)

Label states « A Product Of Sprawls Enterprises ». Label was owned by Joel Ray Sprawls.

Curley Ray Sanders was born in 1935 in St John, KY. he was a DJ on WCTO (Campbellsville, KY) in 1956, and on WBRT (Bardstown, KY) in 1958. WBRT is where he recorded with Joe Brown on San Records, possibly paid for by Curley. He was a regular on the Renfro Valley Barn Dance (KY) in 1958.

I may not know much about Curley but I found quite a few records by him. He shows up in about 1949/50 on Star Talent from Dallas, TX (#749 – Last On Your List / Penny For Your Thoughts). There was a Curley Sanders (assuming it’s him) appearing on the Saturday Night Shindig over WFAA (Dallas) in the early 50’s. Then I find two discs on Imperial (#8197 – Love ’em Country Style / My Heart Is Yours Alone – Mid 53), (#8226 – Too Much Lovin’ / I’m Reaching For Heaven – Dec 53/Jan 54).

By 1956, Curley’s obviously incorporated some « Cat Music » in his repertoire and he’s found here hollering for all he’s worth (well, not quite hollering, but there’s an urgency in his vocals). The A side I’ve yet to hear. Flip is a stop/start rocker with cool lyrics and some fine accomp. by his band (who I presume are the Santones.) I think there’s an under recorded mandolin or something playing through the solos but the guitar is drowning it out. Anyhow, it’s a fabulous track. Almost awesome!

Born in Arkansas, Gene was a truck driver by day and a singer and DJ by night. In 1953, he was DJ’ing over KRSC in Seattle, WA and appearing on Seattle’s « Junior Ranch Show ». He was signed to Vogue Records in 1953 and had at least one release (Vogue #1022 – « So Do I » / ???). Billboard thought it routine, but then they weren’t always right.

By 1956, Billboard finds him recording the disc above. Again, they are not glowing in their praise, but as I haven’t heard it, I can’t say if they’re right or not.

BIG STATE RECORDS 592 ROLAND (R.A.) FAULK

468 Third St, Port Acres, TX

Oct 56 (BMI Clearance on 11th January 1957)

45-592-A – You’ll Never Know

(R A Faulk) (Starrite BMI)

45-592-B – My Baby’s Gone

(R A Faulk) (Starrite BMI)

The A side is a nice typical Texas honky-tonk / hillbilly song. Flip side is a thunderous rocker with heavy double bass and biting guitar. One of the best examples of the Starday rockabilly sound. The ending of the song is one of the most chaotic pieces of music every pressed into shellac as the musicians don’t seem to know where to end. So they all seem to try to end at once with little success. (Sadly, nobody seems to have signalled to the bass player they’re stopping!). This makes the side even better for it in my opinion.

Both Roland and his brother (Autry) were veterans of the Port Arthur, TX scene. (Port Acres is slightly west of Port Arthur). Kirby London recorded one of Roland’s songs on D 1174.

This disc was pressed on both 45 and 78rpm formats.

LUCKY 593 Northwest Troubadors (Oct 1956)

Hey Mister Copper

Jolly Old Fellow

Untraced

STARDAY RECORDS 594 DOROTHY BLAKLEY

Oct 56 (BMI Clearance on 4th January 1957)

45-594-A – Piano Bells (ST-2658)

(Blakley) (Starrite BMI)

45-594-B – Yodelin’ Ivory Waltz (ST-2659)

(Blakley) (Starrite BMI)

More ivory tickling from Dorothy. This disc was even assigned Starday Matrix numbers. ST-2658 was reissued on Starday EP 295 as « Raggin’ The Piano« , while ST-2659 was retitled « Tickle The Ivories« .

BIG STATE RECORDS 595 JIMMY SIMPSON and his Oilfield Boys

Box 1113, Greggton, TX

Nov 56 (BMI clearance on 11 Jan 57)

45-595-A – Can I Come Home

(Jack Rhodes / Jimmy Simpson) (Starrite BMI)

45-595-B – Memories Of You

(Jack Rhodes / Jimmy Simpson) (Starrite BMI)

Jimmy D Simpson was born on 24th March 1928 in Sullivan Hollow, near Ashland City, TN. After stints in the Army (and Navy and the Paratroopers), he moved to Robert Lee, TX (near San Angelo) with his wife and made a living as a pipeliner. He became a DJ over KERC (Eastland, TX) and sang at the Big D Jamboree in Dallas. A career as an artist for Republic Records was cut short by the labels bankruptcy. He also recorded on Hidus Records (owned by Bill & Buddy Holman) based in a jewelry store in Springfield, TN. See in this site for his full story, using the « research » button top-right.

Before he took off for Alaska as a contractor, he teamed up with Jack Rhodes and found himself on this release. The A side is bordering on rockabilly; nice vocals and a fine guitar dragging the band along at a fair clip. There’s a steel guitar adding some nice fills in the background and it shares the solos with the guitar. Flip side is a ballad. These were recorded at a West Monroe, Louisiana radio station. Same session that produced Simpson’s Jiffy single.

STARDAY RECORDS 596TRUITT FORSE

Nov 56

45-596-A – Chicken Bop

(Forse) (Starrite BMI)

45-596-B – Doggone Dame

(Forse) (Starrite BMI)

A monster, 2-sided rockabilly killer from Truitt, (Donald Truitt Forse), a cousin of Beamon Forse (See Rodney 514, « Starday Custom » part 1, in this site). A side is a fast guitar-led rocker with some nice rinky-dink piano. Truitt belts out both sides with gusto (as Billboard might have said) and the biting guitar solos remind me of Hal Harris on high-octane caffeine. Flip is slower, bluesier but not in the least inferior to the topside. Truitt had some ’60s / ’70s C&W singles out under the name Don Force.

PEACH RECORDS 597 LEON HOLMES and his Georgia Ramblers

Box 111, Jefferson, GA

Nov 56 (BMI clearance on 11th Jan 57)

45-597-A – She’s My Baby

(Leon Holmes) (Starrite BMI)

LEON HOLMES and JOHNNY GARRISON and the Georgia Ramblers

45-597-B – You’re Not Mine At All

(Leon Holmes) (Starrite BMI)

Possibly one of my favourite discs in this series. Great stop-start vocals through the verses with a nice hint of rock-a-billy mumbling through the choruses! But it’s the guitar breaks that have always grabbed my attention (for obvious reasons I guess). Slightly understated with a smattering of Carl Perkins with a lovely cascade of notes at the end. It sounds to me that right at the end of the song, the guitarist must hit his pick-up switch by accident as the tone changes slightly. I could probably listen to this all day and not get bored. In fact, sometimes I think I do!

Leon appears later in this series on Starday Records and also again on Peach Records. Perhaps he was a Georgia native. Not heard the flip, but even if it was a ballad, I’d probably like it!

ROCK-IT RECORDS 598 GENE TERRY and his Kool Kats

Port Arthur, TX

Nov 56 (BMI clearance on 11 Jan 57)

45-598-A – The Woman I Love

(Kid Murdock / Lila Hargiss) (Starrite BMI)

45-598-B – Tip, Tap And Tell me

(Kid Murdock / Lila Hargiss) (Starrite BMI)

Gene Terry was born Terry Gene DeRouen in Lafayette, LA on January 7th 1940, but raised in Port Arthur, TX, where his main musical influence growing up was his father and grandfather performing Cajun songs. He also attended house and barn dances with his uncle, R. C. DeRouen, a Cajun musician. His uncle taught him how to play guitar and eventually Gene accompanied him on stage. Gene formed his first band, the Kool Kats, in the mid-’50s, doing mainly country and western songs but they gravitated toward rock and roll, eventually changing their name to The Downbeats. Gradually rhythm and blues began to enter the band’s repertoire as Gene became influenced by Little Richard, Elvis Presley and local KTRM deejay J. P. « the Big Bopper » Richardson. Word spread to Lake Charles, LA gaining the attention of local club owners and a five year contract with Goldband Records. Gene Terry and the Down Beats recorded several singles for Goldband including classic « Cindy Lou« .

Top side is a fast rocker with a nice long guitar solo (although he seems to have not been expecting the first part of the solo because he’s a little under-recorded). Flip is more mid paced with a nod towards « Heartbreak Hotel« . Awesome!

HUGHART RECORDS 599 BURT HUGHART

Rt 3, Stigler, OK

Dec 56 (BMI clearance on 11 Jan 57. BB rev = 7 Jan 57)

45-599-A – Our Last Goodbye

(No info) (No info)

45-599-B – Memories I Can’t Forget

(No info) (No info)

No info on Hughart, nor have I seen or heard the record.

ALABAMA GOSPEL RECORDS 600 TOM HARMON TRIO

AL

Dec 56 (BMI clearance on 11 Jan 57)

45-600-A – My Secret Affair

(No info) (No info)

45-600-B – Get Away, Satan

(No info) (No info)

I’ve still yet to see or hear this disc.

As for the previous Starday custom series, a generous use has been made of Malcolm Chapman’s excellent blogsite « Starday customs » (just do search through google). My thanks to him, reprinted with permission. All label scans were taken from his site.